Three Jailed for $2.2 Million Identity Theft Scheme Using Inmates' Identities

Frantz Pierre, 34, Terry Pierre, 29, and Christmanie Bissainthe, 33, were recently sentenced to prison for their participation in a stolen identity tax refund (SIRF) scheme involving approximately $2.2 million in fraudulent requests for tax refunds.

Frantz Pierre was sentenced to 208 months in prison, Terry Pierre was sentenced to 121 months in prison, and Bissainthe was sentenced to 84 months in prison.

All three were also sentenced to three years of supervised release, along with restitution to be determined at a hearing scheduled for April 30, 2014.

According to trial testimony, 1,000 prepaid debit cards were sent to Frantz Pierre's business, Tax Professors, in May 2010. Co-conspirators then filed approximately 338 fraudulent tax returns using prisoners' stolen identities seeking $2.2 million in refunds, of which approximately $1.9 million was paid onto the Tax Professors debit cards.

All three defendants were caught on video withdrawing funds from the debit cards, and a search of Frantz Pierre's home found more than 70 prepaid debit cards as well as a thumb drive containing over 2,000 names, birthdates, Social Security numbers and IRS PIN numbers.

The three were convicted on October 24, 2013 on 12 counts, including conspiracy to submit fraudulent claims to the government, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft.